The path not taken
Vert was clearly upset. True she was happy that her sister had opened up to her but it was painful to watch her going through such pain. She had always been a gentle heart, True she could be violent as was needed but she always tried to be so as a last resort. It was one of the reasons that she acted as an aunt to the girls. She did not have a sister of her own thus she would be their for the candidates. If there was something that they wanted to talk about but did not want to go to their sister, she was their for them and they all knew it.
There was a flash of white light which drew everyone in the halls attention. When it had died down they could see that their was a outline of a person. Standing their covered in a green hooded cloak was what was obviously a female. That however was all that many could see as her back was to them. Those from game industri where shocked as standing before them was what appeared to be a younger vert.
Chloe was irritated, she had been going to see her friend plutia. It was a friendship that had been started by accident, the two meeting by coincidence. That however was not what made the sleepy girl her friend, The alternate planeptune CPU had been there for her after her First transformation. She had helped her from the shock. So here she was having just used the transportation device to go to plutias tower, however the transport took much longer than it should.
Thus when she opened her emerald eyes, she found herself looking upon her sister whilst being within What appeared to be the great hall of Hogwarts. This confused her something awful as there was a meeting between the goddess's today that was being hosted by lowee.
"Sister, why are you here?" came Chloes soft voice clearly heard throughout the hall. Not that she cared. To her shock though vert dashed to her and enveloped her in a hug. Whilst wrapping her sister in a tight hold, Chloe glanced at the others in a questioning expression. It was Histoire who filled her in. With a snort of derision that she sat next to her sister.
Lily was in shock. There was her child sitting before her and the girl had not even glanced at her. It was painful and worrying for the mother. She had to admit though that the girl was beautiful. Her long blond hair and emerald eyes were matched perfectly with her outfit . Lily was forcing herself to sit still as she does not know anything about the girl other than what the tome has stated.
James was shocked, enraged as well as proud all at the same time. Here he was the head of the potter family and his own daughter had completely ignored him. Such behaviour was not tolerated within the homes of the ancient houses. This of course caused him to be enraged at the behaviour. Intellectually he knew that the girl was not raised within their society and thus would not know of the spoken and unspoken rules, This did not help as it was a conscious effort to not berate the girl. His pride came from how she was such a woman that most would envy her looks. Even the aura of command and power that he could detect due to his animagus form was enviable.
So it was that the book shifted cutting off the people within the halls thoughts. This time it landed on lilies lap. This caused a form of recognition form within Chloe Her eyes narrowing at the woman but she said nothing.
Chapter 3: Recovery continues, and setback.
"Ahh crap" moaned The new arrival. Vert pulled the girl in tighter. "what is it sister?" she asked quietly so that only those at their table could hear. The others new that they were talking but no idea what about. "ohh nothing it is just not something I remember with fondness" she said not saying anything about what was to come. It was true, an honest mistake had caused a fracture in her sisters friendship with the goddess of lowee for a small amount of time and it had taken a whilst for their relationship to return to normal.
Her CPU transformation had been the final bit needed to heal the wound but that came later. Chloe herself had a similar rivalry with the CPU but that was another story.
It had been two months since Chloe had written out her past life for her sister, and her sister was even more patient than before. She also suggested that Chloe keep a diary, if only to keep her thoughts in order, and vent her frustrations.
She decided to use the one that came with the Dark Souls 3 guide (EN).
Entry 7:
It has been over two months since I became Chloe, and I finally feel like I'm starting to adjust. I no longer feel like I'm going to faint simply going to breakfast, or any meal. I'm also getting used to the staff, as I can pass them by in the hall with barely a flinch now.
Later today, a real test will happen. I will be introduced to the goddess and candidate of Laststation, a rival nation. Those two, according to my sister, would be the least likely of the goddess/candidate pairs to set me off again. She also said that she will be keeping Blanc/White Heart, Iris Heart, and Neptune far away from me for now, as she believes that they would set me back to how I was before.
I see no reason to doubt her.
I have also started studying so that I could start helping my nation. My nation... two months and I already call it home, despite living, no surviving in another world entirely for most of my life. I will start moving onto the other nations in a few months.
I will recover, I will protect it, I will defend those that will come to count on me as a Goddess Candidate... as soon as I can get out of the building without panicking, and become trained to do so.
It's a work in progress.
The good news is that my body is finally starting to feel like mine, instead of a too large meat suit, and knowledge that I probably should've had from the start is settling in.
I still won't wear skirts and dresses yet.
I'm ending it here, because it's time to get ready to meet the two that are coming, I wonder why my sister didn't tell me their names...
End entry.
"GODDESSES" came a shout from the griffindor table and getting a groan from the people there. Hermione was, despite living within a school for magic. One of the most stubborn minded that many had ever met. She refused to believe many facts because she had not read them within a book. Thus they were not surprised that she had responded this way, it still irritated them though.
The fairy that was floating upon the book however just smiled. "Yes, that however is a more traditional name for it. The true name is CPU. They are the rulers of their nations and have many responsibilities such as ensuring the smooth running as well as defending their respective nations." She explained. "the title of goddess comes from a time when they were saw as such and the system of our world was not as well understood as it is now. Though it is commonly known, most citizens still use the traditional name."
Those from older families nodded at this as it was tradition and that is something that they hold in high regard. This was something they could understand, even some of the mundane born could understand as even in the non-magical world there were such. The ravenclaws looked almost ravenous at the knew information. However there were some within the crowd that point blank refused to accept it.
Chloe closed her diary, and stood up to get ready, and dressed in a nice semi formal blouse and slacks, and gave a little shudder at the more feminine garb she had in her closet. She promised her sister that she would eventually wear some, at least some of the time, just not yet.
At this vert smiled down at and gently squeezed her sister, that she was trying to make her happy touched vert and made her feel special. Chloe feeling safe and comfortable as she always did in her sisters arms just leaned in with her head laying on her shoulder. It was an adorable sight, and one that annoyed the potters to no end.
She then left her room, giving a nod of acknowledgment, and a smile to a passing guard, whom accepted it with a set of his own, and graciously ignore her small flinch.
The staff had been informed not to take it personally.
The girl made her way to the meeting room that they were going to be meeting with the other goddess and candidate, and when she opened the door, she stared in shock, one of the two was a dead ringer for her 4 Goddess Online friend.
"Uni?" she asked by accident.
"Yes, and who are you?" Uni asked shrewdly.
Neptune giggled at this, "You planned that didn't you Vert?" The blond took a moment to think, I think my alternate did, She probably felt that Chloe having contact would be good for her. Thus having her friend come to help. The fact that it was Uni was a plus as it gave her a pretext of negotiations to disguise her plan" said vert using her own thinking processes to try and deduce what her alternate had planned.
"Um... I don't suppose the name Crimson Night means anything?" Chloe asked hopefully.
Uni facepalmed. Of course her online friend would be here, she would like to talk to her, but she had to meet her fellow candi...
Her thoughts where interrupted when Vert said in a slightly disappointed voice, "Sister, don't be rude, come in and introduce yourself."
Taking a deep breath, she walked in and said, with a bow, "Hello, My name in Ch... Chloe, and I'm the... the Goddess Cand... candidate for Leanbox." She was proud that she finished her introduction with only some stammering.
Uni kept her facepalm going, of course her online teammate would be a combination of nervous wreck, and by the way she was dressed, tomboy.
That made the conversation she had about her sister really, really odd.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Vert said, "Chloe, why don't you and Uni hang out? Noire and I need to discuss the joint military operation we have planned."
Chloe nervously nodded, and asked, "Would you like to hang out in my room?"
Uni was torn, she wanted to help with her sister's planning, but the look Noire was giving her, as well as Vert, made it seem like they had intended her to be around the other candidate from the start.
She followed her online friend to her room, and was unsurprised to find it decorated in Leanbox colours, although the fact that it was neat and clean, and didn't have game equipment on every surface like Noire claimed Vert did was a surprise, not that there weren't any counsels around.
The two spent their time speaking, and playing games, and part of the misery was revealed when Chloe mentioned the bare bones of her reincarnation.
It definitely made Uni think.
At the mention of her room Vert could not help but blush, this however turned into a smile as Chloes light giggle rang out. She could handle some ridicule if it made her sister happy.
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Two more months passed, and Chloe was moving freely through the building, both the public parts and the private. It was at this time that Vert decided it was time to start training, so one day after breakfast she dragged her sister to the armoury.
"Chloe, today I'm going to start your combat training, so I brought you here to pick a weapon. Try out however many you need to, and pick one." Vert explained.
Chloe, whom was nervous because she had never fought before, asked, "How will I know what I'm suited for?"
"Some people choose for preference, some just pick a weapon that just feels right, and others just pick whatever to just choose one. I recommend the second. Just pick some and give them a few swings," Vert explained.
Chloe took a deep breath, and tried to pick up a buster sword, which was the closest to her.
It nearly cut her in half as her grip was so wrong that it slipped towards her edge first.
The hammer she picked up knocked her out for an hour.
After the hammer Vert made sure she had a trusted, non gossipy medic on hand.
She stabbed herself in the foot with the spear she tried.
Shooting a gun... she missed the practice target so badly that the bullet ricocheted so badly she shot herself in the ass.
Chloe was pouting heavily at this as it was not her proudest moment. The memory of all the accidents was really humiliating for her. She still remembered the literal pain in the ass that she had for the rest of the day. The students and a few of the teachers were chucking at the images that were playing upon the screen. Whilst she might not be happy about it she had to admit that it was a comedic scene.
She tripped over her own feet when she tried some punching with knuckle weapons.
After lunch she tried an axe, and nearly lost her head.
She managed to not hurt herself with the daggers, but they still felt wrong.
She broke her leg swinging a mace.
Weapon after weapon she tried, and she ended up hurting herself with every type of obvious weapon in the armoury.
Histoire decided to save the now beat red in the face girl some humiliation. "It should be mentioned that unlike a normal person a CPU has an innate ability with one type of weapon. This allows them to excel beyond that which all but the most dedicated of practitioners might be able to achieve with ease this also means that they are almost inept with other types." said the fairy getting 'ohhs' of understanding. For them it was similar to a wand choosing them, thus they could understand the concept.
She leaned against the now empty weapon rack, as Vert didn't want her sister hurting herself trying to put them back. She then noticed a ratty old book, hidden behind the rack. Curious she picked it up, and she felt a warmth that no weapon had given her.
Just as Vert turned towards her sister to call it a day, and to have someone bring in some more unusual weapons for Chloe to try, the book fell open in her hands, and a giant blue arm jumped out of page twenty-one, and swung the sword it held. (EN2) Then it changed pages to seventy-three, and the same arm came out, this time holding a spear.
"I think I found something sis!" Chloe chirped.
Vert nodded, she was slightly impressed by the choice, and how it worked. More how it worked than the choice to be honest though.
They still had a few hours before dinner, so they decided to spar a bit, and Chloe found out the disadvantages of her new weapon.
It attacked relatively slowly, meaning that a fast opponent could easily dodge.
Chloe was frustrated as they neared the end of their allotted time for training, as she felt so weak compared to her sister, and useless.
The system of strength measurement will be explained at a later date read lily from a small note that appeared within the book. This caused confusion, Strength measurement? What was that?
Then it happened, the book opened up, and words engraved themselves on page one.
Pointing her hand at the slowly charging Vert she intoned, "Flame burning bright, Fire-bolt."
The ball of fire was such a surprise that it struck Vert in the chest, doing minimal damage.
Vert smiled, and brushed off the small amount of soot from her dress as she addressed her sister, "Good shot, let's call it a day. Don't be too frustrated, you're just starting out while I've been doing this for a while. Now, let's get some dinner."
Chloe opened her mouth to protest, when her stomach made itself known. She blushed and made to put the book back, when she was stopped by her sister.
Clutching the book in her arms she departed to her last meal of the day.
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An hour later the cleaning staff was looking at the mess left in the armoury in dismay. Almost all the weapons were scattered on the ground, and it was done by the only two they couldn't bitch out.
With a sigh they started the clean-up.
There was a loud laugh from those at the tables at this. They could understand such an occurrence as there had been similar times with the teachers or the headmasters who had used detentions to get out of doing types of work. Not that they would ever admit to such a thing.
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It was the next day that it happened, something that proved that Vert was right to keep certain goddesses away from her sister.
White Heart visited without warning.
Correction, a pissed White Heart visited without warning, as a shipment of material that she ordered and paid for was delivered to Leanbox by accident, and forwarded to their factories.
It was bad luck that Chloe was in the room when she stormed in.
"Thunder tits, how dare you steal from me?" she demanded in a loud voice, her volume, anger, and insult causing Chloe to shrink back.
Every one turned to look at the afore mentioned goddess. Said goddess could not help but shrink into herself. It was one of the things that she did not like about her CPU form. She had little restraint when it came to her anger. She knew it was a weakness and knew that it could cause problems. So she was not exactly surprised by what happened next.
The motion drew White Heart's attention, and she continued, "And who's the fucking brat? I would've thought you would be more concerned with running your nation or your damn games then helping a useless brat like her!"
White Heart, while having a foul mouth, and a dislike/friendly/unfriendly rivalry with Vert, was not cruel, nor would she have said anything like that if she had even the slightest inkling of the effect it would have on Chloe.
The problem is she didn't know, and misinterpreted the motions Chloe made when she had barged in.
The next thing she knew, White Heart was slammed aside, as the now crying girl barrelled through the doorway she was in. White heart hit the wall hard as the girl ran towards her room.
"What's her Fucking pro... ACK" White heart started, only to be interrupted by Green Heart Gripping her by the neck with a pissed look on her face.
The image that was displayed showed the Woman in her goddess form. The look upon her face was one of almost sheer rage. Something that they had not seen during this entire exercise. What did not help the situation was the barely restrained power that one could practically feel radiating from the now green haired woman. It was so much that it made almost all of the wizards gulp.
"You better not have set my sister's recovery back. I never want to hear you insult her again, do you here me?" Green Heart snarled.
White Heart had the word 'sister' rattling around in her head, and the fact that said sister was trying to recover emotionally from something. Rattled she replied in a tight voice, "Sorry, I didn't know, please let me down."
Green Heart simply growled as she dragged the smaller struggling goddess towards the exit of the basilicom. Then, with a snarled, "Get out." she bodily threw the goddess of Lowee out of the building.
Blanc sighed with her face in her palm. She was not happy with what had happened so she would have probably delayed any meeting for a week or so. Yes she deserved what had happened and would have accepted the rebuke. It did not make her feel any better about her blunder though.
Vert sighed as she changed back, she knew that she would have to deal with whatever brought Blanc there in the first place, but that could wait, she had a sister to comfort.
Opening her sister's door gently she noticed that her sister was fast asleep, apparently having cried herself to sleep. Her diary was opened to the most recent entry. Vert resisted the temptation to read the entry, and snuck in to close the book. It was a shame, because she would've had more insight of the damage the other goddess caused if she had read it.
Entry 18 (EN3):
Today started out well, I helped Vert with a few petitioners, and then sparred with her. She claims I'm improving but I'm not so sure.
Then it happened, she came in.
A person that was apparently another goddess, she came in and insulted my sister, and then she agreed with what I always thought of myself.
I'm useless to my sister. I barely started to walk around this ONE. BLOODY. BUILDING! At this rate it'll take years, if not decades before I can actually help her!
Even my combat abilities show I can't be a help to her. I can't even hurt her when I can catch her by surprise!
Why she, and Chika have been putting up with me I don't know, I just don't.
End entry.
Vert shot daggers with her eyes at blank, the intensity of which drowned out the others attempting to do so. Blanc however was blushing in embarrassment at what had happened. It was clear that the woman was remorseful about it. Chloe however was not happy as she still remembered how she was at that point. Her emotions were every where, her thought processes were not as stable as she was now. The reasons were obvious if you thought about it, she had turned from male to female, awoke in what could only be described as a foreign vessel and finally she had a mental jump from about 5 to 14. She had not understood the stresses that she had been under, the only one she had understood at the time was the fact that she could remember her own death. That alone had been enough to cause some trauma. It was why she occasionally re-read those diaries. To show herself just how far she had come.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
One and a half days later Vert broke down the locked door. Her sister had stopped coming to meals, and worse the kitchens haven't had orders from her.
Vert became furious at White Heart as she looked into the dead staring eyes of her sister. A sister that didn't look like she had really moved except to sit up with her plushy Pyramid Head. It also didn't look, or smell like had bathed in the time since she had been last seen.
Vert reached out and pulled the unresponsive girl into a fireman's carry. She will bring her to the baths, and call Chika to join her. Chloe needed her family if she was to recover.
She cursed the Goddess of Lowee for doing this to her sister, or more precisely for bringing the insecurities of her sister back to the fore.
She smiled as her sister started to react as she was being cleaned, and by the time they started soaking in the bathes Chloe was dozing in Vert's embrace with a small smile.
Chika soon joined them, and joined in the cuddle.
At this it was obvious that some of the older males, along with some of the females looked at the screen only to find the images blurred. This caused some of them to groan only to see a smirk upon the blond woman's face. She knew that she was attractive and found it amusing to see there reaction to such situations.
It was a cleaned and dressed girl that started to move semi autonomously, if woodenly.
Vert knew she could get her sister through this with Chika, and hers help, and her sister would be back, stronger than before.
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Lily potter was upset, so was her family. The pain that her child was going through was tearing at her heart and she was not their to help. Harry however was upset his reincarnation going through such turmoil. It was clear that she came through it well, just by looking at his alternate and seeing her cuddle and reassure her sister proved that.
Albus and the ministry were both happy and at the same time not. Yes it meant that they had the possibility of gaining power through this girl. However they were not as it meant that the potters were extinct, something that would cause issues within the wizengamot. Possibly causing an imballence due to their political clout. Those that were on the panel of lords knew that within the 'temporary' absence of the potter cotes many would try to take advantage as it would be difficult to block proposals without the potters votes.
The wizengamot had always been a delicate balancing act. To many votes one way and they would go backwards to the times of Salem. To many the other and they would leave important knowledge behind due to prejudice against 'dark' magic.
Lily closed the book and sat it upon the small pedistle that had been used since the first day and returned to the table. Lunch was almost ready to appear. It would be afterwards when they would continue.